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Who's Who - Pope Benedict XV

Pope Benedict XV, formerly Giacomo
della Chiesa, (1854-1922) was elected to the papacy on 3 September following
the death of Pius X on 20 August, having served as a cardinal since May
1914.

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A man with renowned
diplomatic talents, Benedict found his abilities - and unique position as a
religious emissary of peace - ignored by the belligerent powers.

Having unsuccessfully
pushed the idea of a general
Christmas truce in 1914 as an end to what he termed "the suicide of
Europe" (initially accepted by the Germans but dismissed by the Allies),
circumstances in Italy - where his regular intervention was resented as
potentially weakening national fighting resolve - further diluted his
influence from 1915 onwards.

In short, the
1915 Treaty
of London included secret provisions whereby the Allies agreed with
Italy to ignore papal peace moves towards the
Central Powers.
Consequently, the publication of Benedict's proposed seven-point
Peace Note
of August 1917 was roundly ignored by all parties except Austria-Hungary.

Despite requesting a role
in the definition of the peace the Vatican was excluded from the
Paris Peace Conference in 1919.